Manhattan Music Academy
by clarissafray
Summary: When Mary is accepted to Manhattan Music Academy,she learns about an annual play. But her competition is high, and they will do anything to win. Will Mary triumph, or will she fall?
1. Chapter 1

Plot: Mary was accepted to Manhattan Dance School, but she has competition for the lead in the musical.

I smiled in awe as Manhattan whizzed by me. "Joey, this is amazing!" I smacked his arm with her pale hand.

"Ouch!" he said. "What was that for?!" the corners of his mouth were fighting to rise in a smile. I ignored him; I was too busy staring at the view. I saw a woman wearing a fur coat saunter out of Barney's.

"I cannot believe I was accepted to Manhattan Music Academy!" I pulled my gaze away from the window and turned to Joey. "This is awesome!" Joey grinned and slowed as he hit a red light.

"Yeah, except I won't see you much," Joey sighed. Since I was studying at the best dance/acting/singing school in the world, I had decided to stay in one of the dorms, so that I could practice more often and be close to school. Plus, it was in the ultimate location, with stores and five star restaurants surrounding the campus.

"Hey, I'm going to be in that music video with you, aren't I?" I nudged his arm, trying to cheer him up. I had won the dance competition last week, and the prize had been to do a duet with Joey Parker, the teen pop sensation and my boyfriend. Out of pure luck, the music video was being filmed in Manhattan.

One hour and two Starbucks stops later, Joey screeched to a halt in front of a beautiful building. It was tall and made of ashy grey stone. Vines twined up the building, covering a few windows. The parking lot was packed. "Joey, I'm going to the school where some of the best dancers, actors and singers went. Helen Bella, Terri Mar, Jennifer Talia, Katherine Austen! Their all legends!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Joey asked. I jumped out of the van and hurried onto the manicured lawn. New students and returning ones walked across the grass. The actors wore unique, funky outfits and practiced different walks as they made their way to the building. The singers listened to their iPod's and bobbed their heads to the beat of the music. And the dancers just looked normal. I turned to Joey, who was holding my bags. He dropped them by my feet. I smiled. "Thanks for dropping me off," I told him. "I'll see you soon, 'kay?" He nodded and smiled.

"Good luck," he put his hands on my shoulders. His grin turned suddenly serious. "Be careful, Mary. This business is tough, and these people are serious. They'll do anything to win," Joey warned me.

"Thanks, Joey," I told him. I watched as he got back into his van and waved. I blew him a kiss and he took off, the tires screeching.

I made my way across the lawn, bags in hand. I was going to do this, I was going to be a star!


	2. Cameron

Walking into the building, I felt a whoosh of warm air. Almost instantly, a woman strode up to me. Her mousy brown hair was pulled into a tight knot at the back of her head. She wore a navy blue skirt-suit that didn't help her being almost opaque. "Your name?" she asked. She spoke with a posh, English accent and held a clipboard in her hands. "Uh, Mary," I informed her. I watched nervously as her brown eyes scrolled down the list. "It might be Mary Blatt, that was my stepmother's last name," I suggested. She paid no attention to me.

"Ah, Mary! Here you are . . . a dancer, I see . . . music video with Joey Parker? Pretty impressive." She looked up from her clipboard. "You're in room 109." She looked at me seriously. "Good luck Mary, and be careful," she said, before moving onto the next aspiring actress, dancer or singer. Why does everyone keep warning me to be careful? I wondered.

Walking through the crowded halls, I craned my neck to see the golden numbers on the door. 105 . . . 107 . . . ah ha! 109. I pushed past a couple of blond girls and a black haired boy. I was about to turn the handle, but it was thrown open before I could even touch the round brass knob. "Ah, my new roommate!" said the girl who had flung open the door.

She had platinum blond hair and clear blue eyes. Her skin was tanned and she wore a miniskirt over paint splattered leggings and a white, N.Y.C T-shirt. On her feet were turquoise high heels. An actress was my guess. "I'm Mercedes," she said, moving out of the doorway. I smiled and walked in.

The room was pretty, painted a burnt orange color. Directly in front of me were large windows that overlooked the lawn. There were two single beds. A closet sat in the corner, and a few lamps were sitting on side tables. A leather couch sat under the window and a bright light illuminated the room.

"I'm –" I began.  
"Mary. I watched the news, and you and your boyfriend, Joey Parker were doing some sort if dance off. I guess you're a dancer?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, I am. You're an actress, right?" She cocked her head to one side and raised her penciled eyebrow.

"How did you know?" she asked me. I looked her up and down, gesturing to her outfit. She grinned and put her hand on her hip. "I like you," she said. Before I could respond, a cool voice came over the intercom.

"Welcome to Manhattan Music Academy. If all new students would make their way to Drama room 204, and all returning students to Drama room 205." Mercedes smiled at me.

"Come on, let's go," she motioned with her heavily ringed finger and I followed, first dumping my bag onto the single bed.

We made our way through the flow of students. Mercedes and I were fairly tall, so we didn't have a problem cutting through the crowd. Reaching room 205, we took our seats at the front of the auditorium, or Drama room. The seats were blood red and made a half circle around a shining stage.

Ten minutes later, the noise died down. Mercedes turned away from me and faced the center. I followed her example and, turning, saw the same lady that had found me on her clipboard. Beside her was a twenty or so year old woman with her black hair tied in a messy side ponytail. Once the murmuring had stopped completely.

"Good morning!" said the black haired woman into a microphone. "My name is Kat. I'm the headmistress of this school. You have all been accepted to this school for different reasons. But the rules are the same for everyone. And the most important rule for this school is this: Play fair. Do not sabotage, copy, or try and ruin another students' work. If someone is caught doing this, they will be expelled immediately." A whisper swept over the student body.

"Do you think she's serious?" I asked. Mercedes kept her gaze fixed on Kat as she began to recite a number of other rules.

"I don't know, she could be. But I think she's just trying to scare us," Mercedes responded. I sat in silence, only half paying attention to what Kat was saying.

"And finally, have fun! This is an opportunity to shine at what you do best. Classes begin in half an hour. You're all dismissed." We sat there in silence for a moment before there was a mad rush to the door.

Mercedes and I pushed through the crowd, keeping our eyes on our door, which was only slightly visible above the bobbing heads. I saw a break in the swarm and shot through. Being a dancer, I was quick on my feet, and made it back to the room easily. I realized that I hadn't gotten my key, and therefore waited, shifting from foot to foot as Mercedes elbowed people out of her way expertly.

"Why aren't you in?" Mercedes asked, plucking a key out of her purse and slipping into the lock.

"I didn't get a key," I explained. Mercedes jiggled the lock. It opened easily and we stepped inside, slamming the door behind me.

"Oh, I'm such an idiot!" Mercedes exclaimed. She hurried over to the side table beside her bed and brushed papers out of the way impatiently. Finally, she jumped to her feet and held out a key triumphantly. "The lady who signed me in told me to give you this key, but I totally forgot. Sorry," she said, handing me the key. I shoved it into my pocket.

"Its fine, thanks," I assured her. I glanced around the room, relishing the way it felt to be living without Dominique. The digital clock read 8:08. Twenty more minutes to kill.


	3. Annual Play

Thanks for all the reviews!

Sorry about the title, I realized my mistake after reading the reviews

I know that in the movie it was a dance school that Mary was going to, but I thought it might be more interesting if there were actors and singers as well, to have some variety.

Twenty minutes later, I heard the same cool voice from before instruct students to go to their first class. Checking the schedule I had received in the mail, I found myself in dance class first thing. Whizzing through the crowd, I found the dance studio easily. It was probably thanks to my memorization of the map.

When I got there, I walked in hesitantly, and instantly saw about ten other 'me's'. It's mirrored walls reflected everything in the room, including the three other girls here. I dropped my bag on the floor and began to stretch. After a few minutes, I could feel someone watching me. I looked up and stood face to face with a gorgeous girl.

Her skin was tanned, her hair chocolate brown fell in tumbling curls. Her eyes were a penetrating green. Luckily, I was slightly taller than she was, so I wasn't forced to look up at her like a small child might. "Mary, you're Joey Parker's girlfriend, aren't you?" she asked. I bit my lip and nodded.

"Uh, yeah . . . and you are . . .?"

"My name is Cameron Mendez, and this is Brielle Jenson and Noelle Porter," she nodded to each blonde in turn. "And, just to let you know, just because you're Joey's boyfriend, it doesn't mean you're going to get any special treatment." And then, she walked away.

That was the absolute weirdest conversation that I had ever had. Then again, it wasn't a real conversation. As the rest of my classmates strolled in, I began to wonder. Was this what everyone had been warning me about? I sure hope the rest of my year isn't like this.

I saw a woman walk inside swiftly and purposefully. Her shoulders were rolled back and her chin was tilted upward. A long, brown ponytail swished around her shoulders as she walked.

She stopped and stood at the front of the classroom. Her brown eyes swept over the students. One girl giggled nervously, another snorted. "My name is Ellen Jeffrey and I am your dance instructor. In this class, you will be learning the basics of dance. Some of you may think you know it all, but in truth, you barely know a thing. Since this school is a school for actors, dancers and singers, I expect you to treat this just like you would a regular school. All classes are equal. Although I expect you to major in dance.

In the next three years, I will teach and you will learn. It's as simple as that. We won't do much talking, except for at the beginning of the year. Now if you'll all start with some basic stretching . . ." we followed Ellen rhythmically, bending are bodies backwards, forwards and sideways. After the short warm-up, Ellen turned on Joey Parker's 'New Classic'. I saw Cameron sneer at me. I shrugged innocently.

Ellen was harsh, but an amazing dancer. She didn't come near me or Cameron, I noticed, but she fixed everyone else's posture, timing or laziness. An hour and twenty minutes later, the room was filled with the smell of sweat. All of the girls were panting, including me.

Ellen smiled. "Good job, girls. We've got a lot of work to do, but you guys are pretty good." She glanced up at the clock. "Before you go, remember tryouts for the annual play are on Thursday. In case you don't know, the annual play is a play that will be created by Mrs. Zen, Mr. Hillman, Mrs. Jade and Mrs. Jenny Wells. It will be performed at Central Park. Various agents will be attending this play, so this is your chance."

The bell rang. "Good luck!" she called. Before I could collect all of my belongings, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"You have no chance," whispered a voice. And before I could turn around, she was gone. But I knew who it was. Cameron.

Wow, this school is so welcoming!

Not.


	4. New Friends Old Enemies

Thanks for the reviews! I love to hear what you think of my work.

I

After that first dance class, the others went by fast. Cameron was in all of them except my drama class. Thank God for that, because otherwise she might have witnessed my drama teacher, Mrs. Zen, make me do an embarrassing improvisation. I was blushing tomato red by the end.

Unfortunately, I didn't see Mercedes until lunch, when she plopped down at my table. 'What's up, roomie?" she grinned at me before diving into her burger. It was refreshing to see someone eat for once.

Suddenly, three other girls sat beside Mercedes. "Oh, um Mary? This is Benny," she pointed to the girl with dirty blond hair and turquoise eyes. "Wren." She nodded to the girl whose black hair was crafted into a messy knot, kept together with chopsticks. Her sky blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at me. "And last but not least, Molly," Mercedes started munching on a fry as the girl with short, curly red hair, pale skin and cat's green eyes grinned.

"Hey, Mary! Joey Parker's girlfriend. Nice!" Benny leaned over the table and high fived me.

"Uh, thanks?" I said, but it sounded more like a question. Mercedes rolled her eyes pointedly at Benny.

"They're in my Drama 1 class," Mercedes explained. "So is this girl that has serious issues. Noelle, I think her name was . . ." Mercedes shrugged and sighed. I stiffened.

"Was she blond and an airhead?" I asked. Mercedes nodded.

"Why, do you know her?" she wondered, her mouth full of food. I simply nodded, my lips in a tight line.

"So do, what class do you have next?" Molly asked me.

"Um, dance again. I think that it's partners dancing this time though . . . have you heard of the annual play?" I questioned the four girls. They looked up at me in unison.

"Duh! Who hasn't? The annual play is where people, like, get discovered. Major movie stars, dancers, and singers starred in the annual play. Do you know when tryouts are?" Wren replied.

"This Thursday. What play is it this year?" I wondered. Wren, Benny and Mercedes shrugged simultaneously, but Molly held up one finger, signaling to wait for a moment.

"I heard that the teachers Mrs. Zen and Mr. Hillman are writing the play. Some girl in my art class told me," Molly informed us.

Suddenly, the bell rang. Wren jumped to her feet. "Nice meeting you, Mary. You should audition for the play, I saw your video with Joey Parker and you dance great." Wren started off, weaving through the crowd before I could thank her. Molly and Benny followed her.

"See you later," Mercedes called over her shoulder. She then took off after the three girls. I left in the opposite direction. Thankfully, my class was found right outside the cafeteria, so it wasn't long before I was safely in the classroom.

My teachers were already there, practicing the waltz. The girl had olive toned skin and shiny black hair that was pulled back into a tight ponytail. The boy had similar colored hair but was paler and had green eyes, instead of blue like hers. My classmates trickled inside slowly. This class, I noticed, was the only one with boys in it.

Once five minutes had passed, our teachers turned to face us. "My name is Kate Wells, and this is my partner Jacob Jenson. In this class you will be learning the basics of partner dancing. We have already chosen who your partner will be, so without further ado . . ." Kate began reading names from a list, and we began to search for our partners.

I found out that they had placed me with a boy named Colt Monroe. "Are you Mary?" I heard someone ask. Whipping my head around, I saw a blond boy with blue eyes repeat the question to another girl. I walked over to him.

"I'm Mary. Are you Colt?" He grinned and nodded.

"Guess you're my partner," he said. I nodded and rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet.

"So, you're a dancer?" I said, breaking the silence. He raised an eyebrow.

"No, really?" he replied sarcastically. I reddened.

Kate and Jacob showed us some moves. Colt was an amazing dancer, and got every move quickly. Colt and I talked through the entire class. He was originally from Manhattan, and had been pushed into dance by his parents. He really loved to sing. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy and a good friend to have at this school.

Somehow, I thought there was something missing in his biography. Some subject that he seemed to avoid. I pushed the notion out of my brain for the time being.

In our break, I saw Cameron glaring at me. "Do you know her?" I asked Colt. He followed my gaze.

"Uh, yeah. She's my girlfriend."

And there's the thing that had been missing.


	5. Surprise!

Later that night, I dragged myself into my room, exhausted. Mercedes hadn't appeared there yet, so I collapsed onto my bed with my newly acquired cell-phone. Joey had insisted on buying one for me, so we could chat. I had only agreed because he'd promised to let me pay him back.

Dialing slowly, my fingers still weren't adjusted to the small keypad, the phone eventually began ringing. "Hello?" Joey picked up on the first ring.

"Hey!" I said. "It's me, Mary," I added.

"_Mary! How's school?"_ he asked me. I sighed and rolled over.

"Okay . . . my teachers are great. But I think I may have made a new enemy," I told him. He was silent for a minute.

"_That sucks, what's her name?"_

"How did you know it's a she?" I wondered.

"_Well, is it_?"

"Yes," I admitted. "Her name's Cameron Mendez. She's like, the popular girl or something. And these two blond airheads follow her around everywhere." I sat up angrily.

"_Don't worry, I'm sure they're just fine. Are you still up for the video on Saturday?_" I could hear yelling in the background. He must be at another music video shoot.

"This Saturday?" I checked my calendar pinned to my wall. "Oh, it is! Sure, yeah, I mean defiantly," I giggled. "How are you?"

"_Great, look, Mary I gotta go . . . their getting mad that I'm past my five minute break_." I could almost hear him rolling his eyes. "_I'll see you Saturday, kay_?"

"Sure, see ya!" I tried to sound enthusiastic, but it was hard. If I was ready to fall asleep on Monday, how would I be by Saturday? I heard Joey click off his phone, and I closed mine with a sigh.

"Hey!" Mercedes wandered inside, followed by . . . Cameron?! "Mercedes, why is she here?" I asked her, jumping from my bed. Mercedes looked stunned.

"What? Cameron? She's my friend, I met her in drama!" I glared at Cameron.

"Mary, I can leave if I'm bothering you . . ." she smirked at me. Mercedes narrowed her eyes at me.

"Wow, Mary, way to be a jerk! C'mon, Cam, we're leaving," Mercedes linked arms with Cameron and the marched out.

"Wait, Mercedes!" I yelled after them, but they didn't turn. Instead, they slammed the door.

I slumped onto my bed. In my first day, Cameron had put me down, taken away a possible friend and stolen my only friend. Tears began to fall down my cheeks.  
Why did I let her get to me?

Wiping my tears away, I snuggled under my blankets. I was going to crush her in the auditions. I was going to be the star, and she wouldn't humiliate me.

I'm really starting to get the way these girls think.

And that could be good, or that could be very bad.


	6. Beginning

Thanks so much for the reviews!

I think I'm supposed to say that I don't own Another Cinderella Story, so . . . I don't own Another Cinderella Story.

Thursday morning was a rush. Whispers and rumors swept through the halls. And everyone was talking about only one thing: The annual play auditions.

Mercedes had avoided me as much as possible these last few days, but I had seen her with Cameron, Brielle and Noelle. She had laughed hard, whispered quietly and followed Cameron faithfully. I felt half betrayed, half responsible. I mean, if I hadn't reacted the way I had, everything would be alright.

By lunch, everyone was staring at the speakers. Everyone was waiting for the announcement . . . and it came.

The cool voice instructed all of the students to proceed to the Drama room if they wanted to audition. Before she had finished talking, the entire student body was shoving people out of their way to get to the Drama room first.

I managed to squeeze my way into the river-like line and trickle into the Drama room. Two ladies at the door told the returning students to continue to the next Drama room. The new students filed inside and quickly found a seat. I wound up sitting next to a girl in my dance class, Alex, I think her name was. We giggled and chatted like old friends.

Ten minutes later, I heard someone clear their throat into the microphone. Alex and I looked up to see Kat standing on the large stage. I flashed back to the first day, when Mercedes and I had been laughing and talking.

"Quite a crowd," Kat smiled. "I'm simply here to introduce Mrs. Zen and Mr. Hillman, the writers of this play!" There were cheers, wolf whistles, calls, and shouts of glee as two adults stepped from the shadows. Even though I hadn't known her for long, I missed her. She seemed so cool, sweet and not jealous. She wanted her friends to succeed, unlike Cameron . . . and me.

I was surprised to see that Mrs. Zen was the same woman who had checked me in. She grinned pleasantly. Mr. Hillman was tall and skinny, with Harry Potter glasses and a crooked smile.

"Thank you, Kat!" Mr. Hillman began. "We are proud to announce that the title for this year's annual play is . . ."

To Be Continued


	7. Auditions

"We are proud to announce that the title for this years annual play is . . . Imagination. Together, Mrs. Zen and I have created a cast of characters that journey to an imaginary world. These characters must find the stone of persuasion before the Witch does. If they don't retrieve it, everyone will be under her rule, and earth will be gone."

Whispering erupted from the crowd. The teachers waited patiently until it died down. "If you look under your seat, you will find an excerpt from the script," there was a sound of rustling paper as everyone ducked down.

Retrieving mine, I flipped through it. At the back, there were the characters, and a little about them.

Genevieve Douceau – one of the main characters, French. She is short tempered, beautiful and attracts trouble. She is one of the humans who journeys to Imagination.

Blair Tether – another human, British. Loves to read and write, and is very fast. She and Genevieve met in England.

Benjamin Callie – British as well. Blair's best friend. He is cynical, smart and occasionally irritating.

Tweet – oversize bird that lives in Imagination. They meet him on their journey.

The list went on and on, there was a cast of about thirty characters. I read them all over carefully. I decided that I would like to audition for four of the characters: Blair Tether, the Witch, Genevieve and Wisteria. She was a tall, beautiful queen who seemed cruel and smart.

Alex informed me she was planning to audition for Genevieve as well. She definitely looked the part, with her tumble of blond waves and wide blue eyes. I know who else looked the part. Cameron.

"Alright, now that you have had time to read the cast list, could you please form into groups. Anyone auditioning for more than one role, on the right! Anyone auditioning for one role, on the left!" Mrs. Zen shouted into the mike. There was a race to the sides. After several grumbles, shouts, and falls, we were relatively settled.

Mrs. Zen proceeded over to the left, while Mr. Hillman took the right. I heard Mrs. Zen begin to instruct the other half of the student body. "Okay, now! Whoever is auditioning for two or three characters, please come forward!" More than half of our side moved forward. I glanced around surreptitiously, to see Cameron was sitting comfortably beside Mercedes. They chatted easily as Mr. Hillman gave more instructions.

He told us to study five of our lines, for whichever characters. He started calling names alphabetically. Since, on record, I was Mary Blatt, I was called up quickly. I took my place, on one side of the stage. Shifting from foot to foot nervously, I looked back at Cameron. She was smirking at me.

Taking a deep breath, I thought of something. I wasn't an actor! I was a dancer! "Um, Mr. Hillman?" I called timidly. He raised his bald and smiled at me.

"Yes, Mary?"

"Will there, um be any dance in this?" Snickers sounded from the crowd.

"Didn't you hear me say? This is a musical. Of course there will be dance! Now, what character would you like to audition for?" Blushing, I looked at my script.

"Ah, oh, yeah, um . . . The Witch, and Genevieve," I stuttered. Crap! I forgot to ask to audition for Blair and Wisteria. Oh well.

I began to read my lines, and as I continued, they came out more fluid. It was like I was meant to say them. Finishing, I grinned happily. Mr. Hillman smiled and began scribbling. "Good job, Mary! Next, please!" I leaped off the stage. I was positively ecstatic.

Watching the other auditions, my confidence sunk. Lower, and lower and lower. They were absolutely amazing! Especially Cameron. She spoke like a true professional. Unfortunately, she auditioned for both the Witch and Genevieve, like I had.

The auditions ended half an hour later. "The cast list will be posted on Monday!" Mr. Hillman announced. "You can all go back to your classes."

I wandered outside. I'd failed. I failed terribly.

Well, at least I had the music video to look forward to.


	8. Crash

2 days after the auditions (Saturday)

The early morning sun woke me. I glanced at my beeping alarm clock in confusion. It was a Saturday, so why was I awake at 6:00 am? I sat up, rubbing my eyes. Glancing over, I saw Mercedes snoring peacefully. I grinned. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could wake her up. I crawled to the bottom of the bed, and checked my calendar. There was something written in big, block letters:

MUSIC VIDEO 7:00 am

"Crap," I muttered, leaping out of bed. "Crap, crap, crap!" I padded into the bathroom and jumped into the shower. The warm water ran over me, and helped me fully awaken.

Wrapping a towel around myself, I hurried back into my room, fingering clothes. I chose a knee length black dress. They would probably change my clothes for the video, but oh well. I quickly applied some mascara and lip-gloss – my two essentials, and regarded the mess that was my hair. I brushed it into a tight side ponytail, grabbed my shoes, and left, locking the door behind me.

I raced down the hall. Joey had promised to pick me up outside the school, and it was no surprise to see his beat up van already parked. I grinned at him and waved, then rushed across the dewy grass. No one else had awoken yet, and it was eerily quiet.

Joey leaned over and unlocked the door. I hopped inside. "Hey!" I said.

"Mary! I'm surprised you got up!" he said jokingly. I pretended to be angry, but I couldn't help but smile. I hadn't seen Joey in days! It had felt much longer than a week that I'd been in Manhattan. It already felt like home. Joey screeched out of the parking lot and whizzed into traffic.

"So, Mary, how's school?" he wondered. I shrugged.

"It's okay, I just auditioned for the play." He smiled and turned to me.

"That's great I –" but before Joey could finish his sentence, there was a beeping noise. I looked forward. There was a black car stopped in the road.

"LOOK OUT!" I shrieked. Unfortunately, Joey didn't look in time, and we crashed into the car. This van was old enough not to have airbags, and my head hit the dashboard. I saw Joey lying down, a trickle of blood coming from his forehead. "Joey . . ." I whispered.

And then everything went black.


	9. Remember me

This chapter ends sort of . . . surprisingly. Hope you like it! :)

Mary was puzzled. Where was she? Was she at home, with Dominique? Was she with Joey . . . Joey, a car. A music video?! What the hell? She racked her brains. She could remember bits and pieces, but putting them together was next to impossible.

Mary came to the conclusion that she should open her eyes. She did so, and groaned almost immediately. It was bright, freakishly bright. White reflected off stainless steel, and everything looked much too bright. "Mary?" a concerned, female voice sounded. I yanked the blanket over my head.

"Go away!" I said, my voice muffled. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

"It's Mercedes," the soft, female voice informed me.

"So?" I questioned why I should care whether she had a Mercedes or not? A fancy car, what's the big deal? No, wait! She's a person, not a car! I suddenly caught hold of the sanity train, just before it left the station. I whipped off the stiff blanket and peeked through my lashes.

"Mercedes . . . my roommate?" My voice was hoarse. She rolled her eyes.

"No, the other Mercedes." I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm confused and partially insane. Don't test me." She cracked a smile. "Where are we?" I wondered, sitting up. Suddenly, I looked down at my wrist, and gave out a shriek of horror. Mercedes leaped from the chair as I began clawing at my arms.

"What the hell, Mary? What's wrong with you?"

"Why. Are . There. Needles. In. My. WRIST?!" I shouted. I attempted to pull them out, but a nurse rushed in and held me down. Mercedes was trying, and failing, not to giggle. The nurse shot her a glare, and she burst into hysterics, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Maybe you should leave," the nurse suggested.

"No, thanks. I'm okay." She smiled brightly at the obviously irritated nurse. "I think she has a slight fear of needles." I turned onto my side, and glared at my roommate.

"You can leave," I told my nurse shortly. She looked surprised and uncertain. Glancing back at Mercedes, I winked, then waved at the nurse. Mercedes copied me. We looked comical, and the nurse narrowed her eyes. But, she backed out without a fuss.

Once she was gone, we collapsed into a fit of giggles. Suddenly, a fresh batch of memories washed over me, including the ones of Mercedes . . . and Cameron. "So, where's your BFF?" I asked coolly. Mercedes fidgeted in the plastic chair.

"Um, well, I rushed over here the minute I heard about your accident-"

"How did you find out?"

"Mary, we live in the 2010, not 1850! Email, news, phone, gossip! You_ are_ dating Joey Parker, these things don't go unnoticed." Mercedes shook her head disapprovingly. I slumped back into my pillow.

"Thanks," I told her. "For coming, I mean. Wait . . . how's Joey?" I asked in concern. Mercedes eyes flitted around nervously.

"Um, he's . . . okay?" It came out more like a question than a statement. My eyes widened.

"What?! Mercedes, I swear to God if you don't tell me what the hell is going on I will throttle you!"

"Okay, okay! Jesus Christ, woman, I'll tell you! He's, um, well . . . you'd better just come and see for yourself." Mercedes got up, and ordered me to stay put. Then, she left. I heard her and the nurse conferring in quiet voices outside. I sighed. What could be so wrong that I had to see Joey to understand it?

A minute or so later, the tense nurse from before returned. Sighing, she unhooked me from various machines. I was relieved when she slipped the IV out of my wrist.

Getting up, I stumbled. Mercedes caught me and held my arm to steady my balance. After a few shaky steps, I was alright.

They led me down a white hallway. It was surprisingly full, there were tons of people. Most were lying on beds, like I had been. It seemed like a dream sequence in a movie, where suddenly, my worst fear jumped out at me and I shrieked. Then, I would awaken from a coma mysteriously, and set out to find my long lost mother.

"He's in here," the nurse pointed to a figure lying still in a bed. I rushed over, well, more like hobbled over, to his side. Clasping his hand in mine, I whispered.

"Joey? Joey, are you okay?" His eyes opened, and he turned to see me.

"Who are you?" he asked puzzled. "What are you doing here? Do I know you?" My eyes widened in confusion, the shock, and finally horror.

"You can't, remember?" My voice was high and shaky. I turned to see Mercedes looking at me in pity, and the nurse looking . . . sad. "Joey, I'm Mary, I'm your girlfriend!" His brows furrowed.

"No you're not, I don't know you! Get away from me, get away!" I staggered to my feet, and Mercedes rushed over, just in time. I collapsed into her arms. It was exactly like the dream sequence in a movie: my worst fear had jumped out at me. Unfortunately, this was no dream.

This was reality.

And in this case, reality was hell.

These things seem to happen a lot to me

Thanks so much for all the reviews! I really appreciate them, and take into consideration everything you say before I write my next chapter.


	10. BFF

"Joey Parker has been diagnosed with amnesia. Amnesia is normally brought on by a traumatic event. We don't know how long it will last. It could be a couple of days, to a couple months. I'm sorry." I had been dragged out of Joey's ward, and now I was sitting in my ugly hospital gown, listening to my nurse go on about how sorry she was, or was pretending to be.

"So, he can't remember anything?" my voice was high and shaky. "And why don't I have amnesia?"

"Well, Joey hit his head much harder, and the damage was much more serious. You were lucky," the nurse kept rambling on about my luck. Yeah, I was in a car crash, and I was lucky.

Seen as Mercedes and I were sitting on the same couch, I mouthed to her 'she's delusional'. Mercedes snorted into the cup tar-like coffee. Beady eyes, the nickname I had given to my nurse, was staring at Mercedes with, well, beady eyes. She gazed at the unblinking Mercedes for a few more seconds, before turning away.

After that rather pointless meeting, I was discharged. Mercedes had brought some of my clothes, and it was comforting to slip on a pair of my worn jeans and T-shirt.

"You smell like . . . hospital," Mercedes pointed out, wrinkling her nose, as we walked down the busy street of New York. I rolled my eyes.

"Um, thanks for that totally helpful comment," I said sarcastically. She grinned. It was weird to think that we hadn't been friends. Thankfully, the school was fairly close to the hospital, so it only took us ten minutes before we were in the comforting, warm halls.

We laughed and talked as we made our way back to the room. She was sweet enough not to mention Joey, and for that I was thankful. I didn't want to have to think about a boyfriend who couldn't remember me.

Mercedes jiggled the key in the lock, and we let ourselves inside. The room was dark, and I flicked on the lights. As soon as I'd done that, I saw a figure sitting on my bed.

The figure, a girl, I realized, jumped to her feet. "Mary!" she squealed. Seeing her in the light, I realized with a start who she was.

Tami.

Sorry this chapter was so short. I've been working on my story for the Mortal Instruments, 'Hunting Valentine'. Anyways, hope you liked it! Please, please review!


	11. Getting caught

"Tami?!" I exclaimed. Mercedes glanced from me to Tami and back again.

"You know each other?" We squealed and I ran over, squeezing her tightly. "I guess that would be a yes," Mercedes muttered under her breath.

"Tami, meet my roommate, Mercedes. And Mercedes, this is my best friend Tami." Mercedes shook Tami's hand. I turned to Tami. "How've you been?" I asked her.

"Never mind that, are you okay? I heard about the crash, and Joey!? How are you?" My excitement plummeted. For two seconds, I'd forgotten. Forgotten the crash, forgotten Joey.

"Um, I'm fine. But Joey isn't. He was diagnosed with amnesia. He can't remember anything. Not his life, not his family. Not me," I finished softly. Tami hugged me sympathetically.

"I'm so sorry, Mary! I should stay and make sure you're alright." Mercedes cocked her head to one side, her platinum blond hair falling around her face. Tami glanced over. "Oh, right. You've got a roomie now! I guess you guys are BFF's?" She sounded sarcastic and cold, not at all like the Tami that I knew and loved.

Mercedes fell onto her bed. "Yep," she declared. "And I'm not-"

"Moving? Well then, why don't you sleep on the floor?" I stared at Tami. What was up with her? Why was she acting so . . . weird?

"Tami, what's up with you?" I asked. Okay, so I was being blunt, but she was being weird. And weird trumps blunt. I think.

"You don't know?" Tami laughed, but it was a laugh free of humor. "You're supposed 'best friend'," she made air quotes around the words 'best friend', "was in a juvenile detention center for about . . . two years, right, Mercedes?"

Mercedes jaw dropped, and so did mine. "You were, I mean, why?" I stuttered. "What did you do?"

"A couple years ago I trashed my neighbor's house and stole a bunch of their stuff, they're money, and, ah . . . I got caught." Mercedes finished, staring at her feet.

I was astounded. "Wait, Tami, how did you know?" I asked my best friend. She shrugged.

"I remember watching the news with my mom once, and we saw her. I recognized her, and her clothes, the minute you two walked in, I recognized her. I'm a fashion designer, I pay attention to people's style. And her style stuck out. Mary-"

"Shut up. Just shut up." I told both of them quietly. They fell silent immediately, staring at me.

I looked at both of them. In one day, I'd lost my boyfriend, found out my roommate was a criminal, and learned a new side of my best friend that I wasn't sure I liked. Now, I just had one simple question to God, or whoever wanted to listen.

Why me?


	12. The Truth

Tami left that night. I wasn't sure I wanted her there anyways. And after she told me about Mercedes, they both seemed cold and irritable. Mercedes tried to be friendly, but I didn't want to listen.

I spent most of Sunday listening to music and practicing my dance routines. Normally, Mercedes would tell me to stop and find something quieter to do, but today, she just read her script in silence. She was in some kind of skit with her acting class. She was telling me about it the week before, and apparently, she was portraying a Zombie teen. I'd laughed and spit Coke out of my mouth the minute she started explaining it, and I wished that we could just laugh like that again.

By that night, I couldn't stand it anymore. I wasn't good at holding grudges, and this was no exception. I perched on the end of her bed. "You memorized your lines yet?" I asked. After not talking for a couple of hours, it took a minute to adjust my voice. Mercedes flipped around and brought her chin to her knees.

"Are you kidding? I've known these lines since Tuesday. My eyes have been glazed over for, like, four hours. I was mostly watching your routine. You're actually really good," Mercedes told me, sounding surprised. I snorted.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. I lost my smile almost immediately. "Why did you steal from your neighbors?" I asked gently. Mercedes sighed and rolled off her bed.

"I grew up in . . . in an orphanage. I never knew my real parents. The people who took care of me we're really nice, but it was crowded and I didn't get attention." She smiled bitterly. "You know us actors, we've gotta be the centre of attention! Anyways, by the time I was thirteen, I knew it was too late. Most people adopting want a younger kid. I got tired of it. Most of the kids my age got adopted ages ago, and I wanted to get out. We lived beside these really rich people, and they weren't home most of the time. So, one day, I told this girl, Hanna was her name, that we should break in. She thought it was a great idea, and so enrolled her brother Billy.

That night, we broke in. It was all going great, until they burst inside, laughing and chatting will friends. We were just leaving but we didn't get out fast enough. They caught us and we . . . well, you get the idea," Mercedes finished. She looked down.

"Thanks," I said.

"For what?" she replied softly.

"For telling me the truth." We were both quiet for a moment. Suddenly, I looked up at the clock. "Oh, hell!" I groaned, falling back onto the bed. The clock blinked at me, 10:14.

"What's the matter?" Mercedes asked me.

"I totally forgot that I was supposed to go see Joey today! I hope he's doing okay . . ." I trailed off. Mercedes sat beside me, putting her arm around my shoulders sympathetically.

"I bet he's doing just fine, hon. Anyways, look on the bright side! We'll know what role we're getting in the play tomorrow!"

I smiled weakly. But she was right. Joey was fine, and I would know what part I was getting tomorrow.

Everything would be fine . . . I hope.

Thank you everyone for all of the reviews! I really hoped you liked this chapter, and I hope you keep reading and reviewing. I'm hoping to put what part Mary gets into the next chapter!

clarissafray


	13. Getting the Part

"Mary, Mary, wake up!" I groaned and rolled over, snuggling deeper into my blankets. Suddenly, they were ripped from around me. I opened my eyes and saw Mercedes standing beside my bed.

"Whatsthematter?" My words slurred together. It was simply too early in the morning to enunciate properly. Mercedes grabbed my calendar and jabbed a finger at the date.

"We get our parts today!" she shouted. "Get up!" I climbed out of bed.

"Okay, okay, I'm up!" It only took me ten minutes to get ready, and as soon as I'd slipped on my flats, Mercedes dragged me by the arm out of the room and down the hall.

We ran down the hall, giggling like idiots. Mercedes led the way, she already knew where the cast lists would be.

When Mercedes directed me into one of the classrooms, there were already about forty girls swarmed around a chalkboard. On said chalkboard were characters and the actors that would be playing them. Some characters appeared to have more than one actor playing them, and so girls who were playing the same characters clustered together.

Mercedes and I squeezed our way through the crowd. I felt someone elbow me, and I turned to see Cameron. She was trying as hard as I was to get to the cast list.

Cameron, Mercedes and I arrived in the front of the pack at the same time. The characters were listed alphabetically. My eyes scrolled down the list, trying to find my name.

"Yes!" I heard Mercedes call. "I got the part!" I was briefly distracted.

"Who did you get?" I asked her.

"Molly Weaver. She's the Witch's sidekick." Mercedes explained.

I grinned and continued looking for my name. Suddenly, I saw it. I traced my finger to the opposite name. Genevieve Douceau. I casually glanced down to the Witch. Cameron's name was opposite it.

She was still standing next to me, looking at her name in disbelief. " . . . annoy Mary . . . not serious," I heard her mutter. I snorted. She must have thought she'd get the part of Genevieve. I glanced over at her.

"You got the part of the Witch. Well, you can just act like yourself then!" I exclaimed. Mercedes snorted and continued examining the list, obviously checking out the other parts. Cameron narrowed her eyes.

Suddenly, someone burst through the doors. When I glanced over, I expected to see some girls frantically rushing to see what part they received. Instead, I saw someone totally surprising.

Joey.

Sorry this chapter was so short! Please still read and review, hope you like this chap!


	14. The New Girl

Sorry for the long wait! I made this chapter much longer then my other ones. Hope you still like it!

I was astounded. What was Joey doing there? The crowd of girls who had been originally staring at the chalkboard were now staring at Joey. Whispers broke out among everyone. "Joey? What are you doing here?"I asked.

"I asked the doctor if I could come and visit you for an hour. He agreed. I'm so sorry about at the hospital," Joey apologized.

"It's fine, I'm so glad your alright!" I exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

Joey and I left the room of gawking girls. We walked down the hall and out the door. It was a gorgeous day. The smell of freshly cut grass wafted through the air, and music was coming from an open window of the school. Cars whizzed by on the road. My stomach lurched as I thought of the car crashing. The impact was like when you crashed into a glass wall. You felt hurt, confused to what had happened, and most of all: surprised. How could you have known you would run into that wall?

"How've you been?" Joey asked as we walked.

"Okay, I guess. Worried about you, and the play. But guess what? I got a lead role!" I told him. I left out the drama with Mercedes and Cameron. He had enough to worry about, and besides, that was all over.

"That's amazing, Mary! The teachers created an original play right?" I nodded. "Wow, you are sure lucky. They are some of the best. They've taught thousands of stars! And to be in an original? People will be talking about this for forever."

I grinned. It was great talking to Joey again. He was so supportive and nice and . . . great. We talked for a while about my school, my friends, my life. I also found out that the doctors wanted to keep Joey in the hospital overnight, just to make absolutely sure he was alright. I myself wondered if it was simply because they didn't want to be charged if Joey wasn't completely healed. After all, they hadn't cared as much about me.

Unfortunately, Joey had to go back to the hospital, so they were forced to say goodbye. I returned to my room. I tried the door and found that it was locked. I dug in my pocket for my key. It wasn't there. "Ah, crap!" I muttered. I checked the other pocket. No luck.

I banged on the door. Apparently, Mercedes wasn't there. Suddenly, there was a flash of blond hair and a red dress. Mercedes, thank God! "Hey, Mary! What are you doing outside our room? Admiring the door?" she asked.

"No, I just forgot my key. What are you wearing?" I asked, as Mercedes twisted the key in the lock and opened the door.

"Oh, it was a costume for our in-class play. I loved it so much that my teacher told me that I could keep it. Isn't it just fabulous?" she told me. I nodded absently.

The dress was pretty, I had to admit. Knee length, pale pink. Sleeveless and flowing. "So, how was seeing Joey?" she asked.

"Great," I replied, flicking on the lights and slamming the door. I saw the change immediately. My bed was still there, but Mercedes' bed was gone. In its place stood a bunk-bed.

"What the-"

"Miss Fletcher, Miss Blatt, may we come in?" We heard a voice through the door. I recognized it to be Mrs. Zen. But who was the 'we' that she referred to?

"Yeah, sure. It's unlocked," I called back. Mercedes looked at me, as if to ask if I knew anything. I shrugged, signaling that I was just as clueless as she was.

Mrs. Zen entered, followed by a girl our age. She had short, glossy jet-black hair and stormy grey eyes. She crossed her pale arms. "Hello, girls. This is Brie Austen. She just transferred here, and will be rooming with you girls."

Mercedes and I glanced at each other in surprise. "Well, I'll let you girls get to know each other. Oh, wait. Here's your schedule and your room key. Hope you guys get along." And with that, Mrs. Zen was gone. We stood there awkwardly.

"I love your dress!" Mercedes exclaimed, breaking the silence.

"Thanks, it's a one of a kind. Costs over two thousand dollars, but mum got me mine for free," Brie said. I was astounded. Over two thousand dollars? For a dress? That was outrageous! I could see why a girl like Mercedes admired it. It fell just above her knees and was blood red. It was belted with a thin, silver belt. Personally, I liked Mercedes dress better, but I didn't dare insult Brie. She kind of scared me.

"So are you an actor?" I asked tentatively.

"As if," Brie scoffed. I felt Mercedes stiffen beside me. "I'm a dancer. One of the best." It was my turn to stiffen. Brie examined her nails. "So, what bed is mine?" she asked. Mercedes motioned to the top bunk.

"You can have that one." I recognized the cold voice Mercedes had used with me when we had been fighting. Brie shrugged.

"Cool." She opened the door again and dragged two large suitcases inside. "Uh, where's the closet?" Brie asked. I motioned to the small closet Mercedes and I shared. I remember her complaining to me about the size, even though I only took up a quarter of the space. "This won't do," Brie said, opening the closet door.

"What are you going to do about it?" Mercedes challenged. Brie turned to her, a smirk playing at her lips.

"You'll see, little girl," Brie replied. I could see Mercedes was about to explode.

"Can I talk to you, for a minute. Alone?" I asked Mercedes. Since Brie didn't seem to take the hint and wait outside, we left. As soon as the door was closed, Mercedes burst.

"Who does that girl think she is? The nerve! And that 'little girl' thing? God, she's such a little princess. Bet she's one of those girls who couldn't wrestle to save her life. That little-"

"Mercedes, calm down! She's not that bad. We can live with her. Get a grip or we're going to have a rough year." She looked astounded, but what did she expect? That I called her outside to gossip about the new girl? I'd dealt with ego maniacs before, and Brie seemed like an amateur to me. The only thing I was worried about was her dance ability. From what she'd said, her mom had money. Enough money to get some seriously awesome training.

"Let's go back inside," I suggested. Mercedes nodded, sighed, then opened the door. We returned inside to find Brie hanging her clothes up – all around Mercedes' bed.

"What are you doing?" Mercedes asked.

"I thought you'd like it. You seemed to like my other dress, so, now you can see them when you wake up in the morning. Plus, there's no room in the closet."

I glanced at Mercedes. How long would she put up with this?

By her expression, not long at all.

*Two days later*

"And one, two, three, four, five, six se-ven eight!" Ellen Jeffrey, my dance teacher, called out. I was sweating like a pig, and so were the other girls in the class. We hadn't had a break yet, and I was praying that that she would free us soon. I saw her glance at her watch. "Okay, girls. We don't have much time left." We tried to contain our glee.

"I would like to inform you that our academy has been participating in the Manhattan Dance Competition since the founding year. Normally, we hold auditions, but we dance teachers thought it would be better to judge you secretly –in class." We all looked at each other in horrified silence. She'd been judging us on our performance in class? Brie, of whom I'd learned was funny, smart, and a fabulous dancer, had become my friend. And Mercedes' sort-of friend.

She looked at me, eyes wide. I knew why. She'd only gotten two days to show Ellen her dance skills, so she was at a disadvantage. "Um, Miss Jeffrey? How many people get to go?" asked Noelle, the ditzy blond.

"Six, Noelle. Three from this class, and three from the other. The people attending the Dance Competition from this class are Mary, Brie, and Cameron. Good luck." The bell rang at the precise moment she finished talking. "Girls, could I see you for a second?" she shouted over the bustling students.

Brie, Cameron and I hurried over. Ellen smiled for what might be the first time. "Congratulations, girls. Brie, I can't say I'm surprised by your talent. I taught your mother, after all." I shot Brie a questioning look. "Anyways, you are to prepare a two and a half minute solo. The competition is this Saturday."

"This Saturday? That's outrageous!" Cameron exclaimed. Brie shrugged.

"It shouldn't be that hard. What time?" she asked.

"You have to be there at five am. Can you girls arrange transportation?" Ellen wanted to know. We nodded. "Okay then. See you tomorrow in class, then." We took that as our cue to leave. On the way out, Cameron blocked Brie's way.

"Get lost, Cameron," I told her angrily.

"I'm not talking to you, poor girl. I just want to warn Brie that I know her secret. And if you even show up at that competition, I'll tell everyone. You'll get kicked out of this school for good. Even your mommy won't be able to get you in." She turned to me. "See you at the competition, loser," she said. And then she left.

"God, that girls mean!" Brie exclaimed.

"Hold up, Brie. You've got some serious explaining to do." Brie sighed, and we began to walk back to our dorm.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry for the long wait! I've been so busy! I promise that the next chapter will be up soon.

Please still review!:)


	15. AN

Hello!

As you can see, this is not another chapter.

I am just letting you know that I'm taking a break from fanfiction, and 'Manhattan Music Academy'. I will continue to write this story eventually, but I just don't want to write at the moment. So, thank you for reading and reviewing, and I hope you know that I do want to complete this story . . . just not now :).

clarissafray


End file.
